Yesterday, we were given information by one of our sources on some upcoming changes to the JUMP! program. Shortly after publishing, T-Mobile got in touch to confirm that it is coming and to clear up some of the confusion, trying to make it as clear as possible.

Official PR spiel below:

T-Mobile sparked a revolution in the wireless industry in 2013, beginning with the elimination of service contracts and a call for ‘Contract Freedom.’ Our innovative JUMP! handset upgrade program is an important cornerstone of our Un-carrier movement, and soon (starting February 23) you will be able to upgrade as many times as you like:

Whenever you’re ready to upgrade, trade in your device and T-Mobile will pay your remaining device payments up to 50% of the device cost. There is no more waiting period or limit to the number of times you can upgrade per year.

And we didn’t stop there – we’ve also added tablets to the program! We’re excited about how these program enhancements give our customers even more freedom to upgrade when they want, instead of when they’re told.

The old-guard carriers all tried to follow our lead last year, but none can match the variety of freedoms we provide to our customers with JUMP!

As you can see, this is pretty much exactly what we read and wrote about yesterday. Except that there’s a little more clarity on a few parts. The biggest talking point between us in the comments section was the whole 50% thing, so let’s tackle that first:

50% device cost

For some customers, and for most of you who read this blog, this could be the downside to the new plans. From February 23rd, if you sign up to the JUMP! plan, you can – if you want to – upgrade your phone whenever you like. But to do so, you must have paid at least 50% of the cost of the phone, and trade-in your current phone.

Let’s take the Samsung Galaxy S4 as an example. We’ll use the current price and standard EIP just to make the example easier. Its full price is $624, and we’ll assume you have great credit and got it without paying anything up front. If you decide after 3 months (three EIP payments) that you no longer want it, and would like to switch, you’ve already paid $78 (3x$26). In order to JUMP! (upgrade/change phones) you need to have paid $312 of the phone’s cost. So, you have a balance of $234 left to pay. And you have to trade-in your phone.

Currently, an S4 will fetch you $150 using the company’s trade-in program, but that value has no impact whatsoever on how much you need to have paid towards your phone. So, if you have an iPhone that’ll fetch you $300 through trading it in, that doesn’t change the fact that you still need to have paid at least half of your phone’s cost. So, trading your phone in is necessary, but its value has no impact on how much of your device cost T-Mobile covers. It’s still up to 50%.

In bullets:

You can upgrade whenever you like

T-Mobile will cover up to 50% of the original device cost when you JUMP!

You have to trade-in your current phone

Now, I know that may not sound great on first looks. It doesn’t seem like as great a deal. But if we think logically about how often someone might want to upgrade and consider other factors, it doesn’t seem quite as bad. At least, not to regular consumers. We – as tech nerds and the phone obsessed – don’t really fall in to that category.

If you’re an iPhone user, chances are you’re only going to upgrade once every 12 months, each time the next iPhone is released. The same can be said of Galaxy users. Even if you get your device with $0 down, chances are, you’ve already paid 50% of your phone’s cost through monthly EIP payments.

If you’re a phone nut, and like to change far more often, you can still do so and you don’t necessarily have to pay the big lump sum when you decide to change phones. You could – for instance – decide that you’re going to pay more than the regular monthly EIP charges to cover 50% of the phone quicker, or decide to pay an up front fee to soften the blow. Also, if you don’t happen to be someone with great credit, and you’ve had to pay an upfront fee anyway, this would significantly reduce the amount you’d have to pay to change phones.

For some, it’s clear, this isn’t going to be a good change. For most regular users, it is. You don’t find many chomping at the bit, impatiently wanting to change phones after just 1-2 months. But those who absolutely have to change phones that regularly can do, it’s just going to cost them. And for those who perhaps would expect T-Mobile should just pay off your entire EIP whenever you decide you want a new phone, perhaps looking at the numbers would persuade you it’s not good business sense to do so.

Existing JUMP! users

If you sign up (or have signed up) to the JUMP! program before February 23rd, you will continue under your original terms. You can upgrade from 6 months onwards, and change up to twice each year and T-Mobile will cover the entire device cost as it does now. However, you can change to the new JUMP! terms if you upgrade after the 23rd. Only if you want to.

If you currently have JUMP! and have only been on the program for a couple of months, you can’t just switch to the new terms. You have to wait until your next upgrade is due, and then change. And that’s only if you want to. You can continue on the original terms as long as you like, even if you upgrade. You’re grandfathered in.

Tablets

From the same date that these changes go live, tablets will be included too. So, if you have a tablet from T-Mobile, you can sign up to the JUMP! program anytime from the 23rd of Feb. It’s worth noting that tablets and smartphones are not interchangeable. So, if you have a phone on the JUMP! program, you can’t swap it for a tablet or vice-versa. You can only JUMP! from smartphone to smartphone or tablet to tablet. Not tablet to smartphone or smartphone to tablet.

Wrap Up?

This is official. These changes are happening, and it’s no longer just a rumor from our sources. It costs just the same as it already does. $10 per month, and includes the same insurance benefits. Only the terms will be changing. T-Mobile thinks this is a good change for customers. I’m not quite convinced.

Still confused? Ask in the comments, grab me on twitter @TiP_Cam, or send me an email to cam@tmonews.com, and I’ll do my best to explain it.

About Cam Bunton

Cam Bunton, Managing Editor. A film school graduate from the University of Cumbria, UK, Cam's past life was in mobile phone retail. His passion for cell phones got him in to that industry, and then in to this one. A family man with three kids, he somehow manages to balance his work duties with family life and a runaway Twitter addiction. Follow him on twitter: @CamBunton

As you said, it’s a mixed bag.. I think it addresses the average consumer more than a power upgrade junkie.. That might be the point though.. and they are a business, so they need to get some return on it for the convenience.. which is what you’re paying for, convenience..

Jermaine Coakley Sr.

It’s a mixed bag, no better way to say it

bluemoon737

I would say it is all negative (other than the tablet thing but I doubt that will rarely if ever get used). From a marketing standpoint it “sounds” great, but the reality is that they changed the “effective” jump interval from six months to one year. I’m sure the reality sunk in that they were going to lose their shirts at the six month jump interval.

Jermaine Coakley Sr.

@bluemoon737, I am thinking that’s the reality that they saw especially when they are paying the entire EIP for whatever is left. It’s not a better deal than before but it is what it is. I still think that you can get MUCH more from your phone using Craigslist, eBay, etc. but that’s just me.

The real question that @cam_bunton:disqus mentioned is “Who is really going to trade in their phone before 6 months?” I have the HTC One and I don’t see trading my phone in even with the HTC M8 aka HTC One 2 (whatever they will call it) comes out because I like my phone right now.

donnybee

“Who is really going to trade in their phone before 6 months?”

Sounds like the old “Who is really going to use more than 5gigs of data a month?” limited data argument. More restrictions equals less benefit. We’re all here at T-Mobile now because of the freedom. Sure the price was great too, but the freedom is the best part. Let’s not forget that even on $0 down, most phones will be about $150 less than their original selling price. A GS4 brand new from T-Mobile still costs $600+. So why wouldn’t they be able to recoup “losses” on traded in devices by selling the certified refurbished ones for $150 less than the new ones? They’d sell like crazy! That means they didn’t lose anything. We need to quit thinking they’re taking losses from the current JUMP! plan.

Jermaine Coakley Sr.

@donnybee, I see what you’re saying here definitely but at the end of the day, this is a business just like any other. If they feel like they’re losing money then this is what happens. T-Mobile still has the freedom that we want but no one should expect to get everything that we want in a business 100% of the time. That’s not the makeup of businesses. I have JUMP! currently and this has no effect on any changes on my end period. I came over from Verizon due to price, unlimited data and coverage since here in metro Detroit, T-Mobile is solid here.

donnybee

I’m all for businesses making money. I’m a firm believer in a business needing to pull in a profit and they need to maximize profits as much as possible. What I’m not okay with is them (or anyone really) trying to mask the pursuit of additional profits behind a facade of “this benefits the average consumer”. Right now, I know they have the ability to break even on the devices. That was the goal from the beginning. But if they want to start making a profit from devices as well, then they need to not disguise it as a way to recoup “losses” or to provide additional “benefits” to average users. Both are untrue and that’s what I’m hoping more people realize.

T-Mobile is still better than the rest of the bunch. That’s for sure. And I really am hoping they are able to build up more profits to expand and offer better service. As long as people aren’t tricked in the process.

Jermaine Coakley Sr.

@donnybee Check my last post because I totally forgot about them reselling the devices that we trade in with JUMP! so yes, there are making money back BUT they just want to make a bigger profit now!

donnybee

Which needed to happen eventually. T-Mobile needs more profits. I just hope everyone realizes what this truly is and doesn’t keep thinking T-Mobile has been losing all this time lol

Jermaine Coakley Sr.

LOL right exactly @donnybee

IamTwone

Exactly the proof is on there website they are selling the Note 2 refurbished for the same price as new Note 2.

Jermaine Coakley Sr.

You know what, I totally forgot that there are reselling the devices as part of the JUMP! program, I missed that part. @donnybee I believe you have a good argument here.

kalel33

I would have been much happier if they didn’t limit my data to 50MB of usage while roaming. They used to allow unlimited data roaming, like the other carriers do.

bluemoon737

Losing their shirts was an exaggeration…granted, but no doubt they saw a means to add profit from this program. This change is certainly no “win” for the consumer.

Jermaine Coakley Sr.

They are a business and need to get some return on the devices. I’m not upset or anything but it’s part of being a business. I have JUMP! now and I don’t plan on upgrading every 6 months or whatever but when I see something I want, I have the luxury of using this. For existing customers, nothing changes BUT for new customers starting Feb. 23rd, there will be a change.

Jay Holm

So as of February, I’ve paid $380 towards my S4, I got mine on day one, April 29th, paid $180 down, including tax, plus $20/mo since then. So I’m well over half paid off. So I shouldn’t have any problem getting the S5 on DAY ONE, am I right? I hope theres a good selection of cases available, I want one with a kickstand this time around, bright blue, good balance between protection and not too much bulk.

Cam Bunton

Yeah, if you’re already on the JUMP! program, you’ll have no issue. You’ve had your phone for almost 10 months. These changes apply only to people who subscribe on or after February 23rd. Anyone who’s signed up before that date is unaffected by the changes.

Jay Holm

But what about the upgrading earlier if your device is 50% paid off? I haven’t been enrolled in Jump for 6 months, only since January, but my S4 is indeed 50%+ paid off, so will I still have to wait 6mo’s, or since I am past the 50%+ threshold, I can get the S5 on day one?

Cam Bunton

Sadly, you go by your original terms, so you can’t upgrade until you’ve had your phone 6 months (July?). You can’t just switch to the new JUMP! terms whenever you like. However, once you’re due to change, you can change and also switch to the new JUMP! terms at the same time. Make sense?

Jay Holm

Yeah. That will
give case makers plenty of time to make the case I want, one with a kickstand, bright blue, and a good balance between protection and not too much bulk.

Cam Bunton

My guess is that accessory makers will already have something up their sleeves for the S5. It’s only a couple of weeks away from announcement. If I was to bet, I’d say Incipio will have something like what you want already on their drawing boards.

Moby

Are you only able to sign up for the new Jump when you buy a new phone on EIP? The current Jump said: “JUMP! is an optional feature that is added to your monthly plan either when you purchase your phone on EIP or within 14 days of purchase”

Mainstream Joe

there’s to many catches when trying to explain the new JUMP…a customers rebuttal will be, so i have to pay $10 nd pay half of my phones value if i wanna upgrade in 10 months + trade in my phone + commitment to another payment plan.

JJCommonSense

Well, with JUMP you get the insurance and, depending on the phone that you have, the $10 is less than what you would have paid for the cost of the insurance by itself. It looks like, if you have JUMP now, you can keep it as is. Just think of JUMP as the ability to lease your phone.

randomnerd_number38

The $10 would be less on the old Asurion insurance. Now if you sign up for PHP without JUMP, its 8 dollars monthly, regardless of the device.

kalel33

Or pay $125 for Square Trade insurance for 2 years and the deductible is lower too.

thepanttherlady

Glad to see those that joined JUMP! already won’t be forced to change to the new terms. Yet, anyway. :)

Whiskers

Same here , can’t wait to JUMP off my Nokia 925 on May 9th .
Resale value of this phone is worthless , but my wife loves her i5s and does’nt want to jump from it.
Wonder if i should drop the JUMP from her line since she loves that phone . It’s already been 7 months on it and she won’t get rid of it , lol.

Bob Archer

Jump is also giving you insurance. I paid $99 for AppCare+ for my iPhone 5 (when I bought it from Apple unlocked) which extends the warranty and covers accidental damage. Over 2 years that’s 4.13 a month. So, for @$6 a month she can jump to an iPhone 6 this year. Of course, you might just be able to sell the phone and get a better deal.

donnybee

Your $8.25 figure is based on a 12 month breakdown. Your $99 is equal to $4.13/ month over 2 years. So the difference is actually about $5.87/month or $141 extra over that same 2 year period.

Bob Archer

Opps… you right, thanks for correcting my math. Edited OP to fix.

Bob Archer

Opps… you right, thanks for correcting my math. Edited OP to fix

kalel33

Also, the deductible is $70 lower with Apple Care than it is with T-mobile’s insurance.

randomnerd_number38

9 days remaining to get in on the old terms! Glad I’m locked in on the old terms and I’m gonna make damn sure they don’t take em away from me when I upgrade!

randomnerd_number38

Accidental double-post

KB

I don’t upgrade often enough to have the new jump be useful. So I will love being grandfathered, I hope they don’t force me into the new terms when my next upgrade happens. Not sure it makes much difference because I don’t have perfect credit , but it saves me about $50.

bob90210

Did you just say have JUMP but don’t use it since you don’t upgrade often? Just cancel it and save yourself $10 a month. JUMP only makes sense if you upgrade frequently. If there’s more than a year between upgrades, you’re better off selling your old phone.

Trev

Some people would be paying 8 dollars for insurance, so an extra 2 dollars for Jump really isnt so bad.

bob90210

I guess I just don’t understand why anyone pays for insurance for their phones. It costs a lot for what is covered. I guess it’s their choice and their money. Well, T-Mobile’s money now.

KB

I upgrade at about 1 year intervals, so it’s not costing me any more than saving for a new phone and sell the old one for as much as I can on Craigslist. Like I said it saves me at least $50 this way. Or two years ago this would have saved me a lot, I broke my phone, replaced with insurance then sold it for a sad amount because it had deprecated very quickly. No major savings, but it’s convenient.

Spanky

Agreed. I’ve always found phone insurance to be a waste of money.

JJCommonSense

I mean, I can see how some people might complain but from a business standpoint it’s only fair. They’re not charging you for the phone in your plan anymore, so why should they have to absorb a loss if you decide to JUMP after you’ve had your phone for 3 months and paid $0 down? It makes sense to me.

donnybee

Because they turn around and sell the device as refurbished. They’ll keep making money on that phone until the market decides it’s not worth reselling. T-Mobile will always get their money’s worth on the device. Now, they have potential to make a profit if they keep paying less and less each time that device is traded back in.

bob90210

If you bought your phone for $0 down, then in 6 months you probably owe more than the phone is worth. Since JUMP essentially pays off the remaining EIP, that means T-Mobile is paying more for your phone than they can receive by reselling. That’s exactly why they change the plan; they are losing money on the old JUMP plan.

donnybee

Not the case. After 6 months I owe $450. I got the GS4 for $0 down (my phone was only $600 not $624) and they could EASILY sell it again for $450. It’s cheaper and certified, so why couldn’t they sell it for what is owed on it? They could either sell it outright and recoup losses, or allow EIP on it and continue the process further down the line. They have always had a viable plan to recoup their losses. Just think of the people who paid money down on their phone. They can sell those at $450 too and still make money. For T-Mobile, this is a very easy solution to recoup losses and I’m sure that’s been their plan all along. Let’s not forget they’re making money from JUMP! too. That’s an additional $60 by the time these phones come back. They’ve had no problem making money on the plan the way it is now.

bob90210

$450 is a lot of money for a 6 month-old phone. I know you can get the GS4 for $300 at 9 months old.

I’m sure T-Mobile has a third-party that handles refurbishing the phones so there’s a cost associated with that also.

donnybee

And yet T-Mobile is still selling the GS4 at $600+ with no problems. If they offered EIP and included the refurbished device that was purchased to use the JUMP! program too, then they’d sell. No problem.

Also, remember that some people have paid much more than 6 months of payments on their GS4 and other phones because they put money down. So in essence it could offset the cost of refurbishing entirely. T-Mobile gets a great deal for refurbishing since they’ve got a HUGE flow of them. So that cost is easily offset.

IamTwone

Good point I became eligible for jump last month, still haven’t used it yet just paid another bill this month. I got the s4 when it was on sale for $99 down and total was $579.99. I still owe $340 on it. I am debating on waiting for the s5 press release this month or getting then note 3. So I have only paid $240 so I agree the new plan is bad if I can definitely keeping my old jump. Also I am 1 of those customers that doesn’t mind paying a little upfront because when i was at the store looking at the note 3 I told the sale rep after jump how much to i have to put down to only have to pay $20 a month rather then $29.50. Also for the people saying tmobile losing money money on the phones look on there website they selling a new note 2 and refurbished note 2 for the same price probably because alot of people traded up for the note 3.

donnybee

I’m glad you were able to post prices of the refurbished devices. Yes, their current model is not losing any money. And as you’ve done here, anyone can look online for refurbs to purchase. Where did most of those come from? The people upgrading!

IamTwone

I don’t know if tmobile is keeping an eye on this site but its funny because right i posted i looked yesterday and now the new note 2 ha $96 off and the refurbished note 2 has $120 just 2 days ago they was both $576 with $120 off. I am really debating on what I should do because I can pay $340 and keep my s4 that was unlocked my by tmobile and give it to my dad or upgrade to the s5 probably next month or get the note 3. Because I also have a nexus 5 that i was debating on selling to keep the s4. But around my area of jersey nobody really knows or cares about the nexus line.

kalel33

T-mobile refurbishes the phones themselves in Texas. We watched a presentation on how they do it.

donnybee

Cam, I’ll be honest. You sound like you’re promoting tiered data with your defense of the limitations on this new plan. Sure normal users don’t upgrade as often as I will, but if they really wanted to even just one year, this would hurt them too. If they just keep doing what they do and don’t upgrade more than once a year or longer, than this won’t benefit them at all. The new limitations don’t benefit consumers at all, and there’s really no way to spin it to make it seem good. The fact is that it’s more limiting than it used to be and it will affect all users alike, whether they are upgrade junkies or upgrade slackers.

Besides, how could they determine the amount of people who are upgrading after 12 months? They haven’t even had the program for 12 months. Whether most people only use 2 gigs of data a month, or upgrade only once a year, it doesn’t mean all rules should be built around that use case. Remember those are averages. Even a typical person will want to use lots of data at least one month, and couldn’t with tiered data, and the same goes for upgrading.

Sorry to bring up tiered data, I merely was using it as comparison to this plan; referencing the defense of the new terms stated in the article. No limitation additions are ever good. Period.

Jay Holm

Tiered data is a very, very sour subject in the wireless industry. HSPA+42/LTE, and Unlimited data are the two biggest reasons I joined T-Mobile. Looking forward to the Wideband 20×20 LTE!!!

donnybee

I joined for that, and because of the upgrade freedom.

Again, I wasn’t looking to focus on unlimited data vs. tiered data, just merely showing that more restrictions is never good. Even if they try to spin it to show that it’s good for the “average” use case.

Cam Bunton

I wasn’t defending the changes at all. I’m merely showing both sides of the argument. I believe that’s what I should do. Regardless of JUMP!, if you’re an iPhone user, stats show that you’re almost definitely going to get another iPhone as your next device. Since they only come out once a year, stands to reason that you will only upgrade every 12 months. The same pattern has emerged with Samsung Galaxy S or Note series owners.

My biggest concern here, and I’ve told T-Mobile directly, that if 12 months is an average for upgrading, then the new changes don’t make a lot of difference at all to almost anyone. What it does do, is give the impatient ones the opportunity to upgrade whenever they like, but you can’t expect that they’re going to just let you change phone every month or every 2-3 months for free. Paying 50% is reasonable in that instance.

The people that are losing out on this deal are the ones that would have wanted to upgrade between 6-11 months after having a phone. They’re the ones that – under the old program terms – would have been able to change phones without paying anything (presuming they paid nothing up front and are paying standard monthly EIP payments). Now, they’ll have to pay whatever balance there is remaining to make up the 50%.

In short, annual (or less frequent) upgraders aren’t affected. People wanting new phones every 6-11 months are negatively affected. Anyone looking for a new phone before 6 months is up, is affected positively. Not every body wins, but there is more freedom.

Jay Holm

I agree, paying 50% of a phone before upgrading is most certainly reasonable. Not much longer, mid-range phones will be very, very capable, and $600+ smartohones won’t be as necessary.

donnybee

For people who want to upgrade EXTREMELY quick, I agree. This gives them that chance. One thing to think about though, is were there enough of those people to permit such a large change? I really don’t think so.. In fact I think most people were fine waiting the initial 6 months to upgrade. I certainly was. For people who upgrade that fast, I think they’ve got a more proven and beneficial method, which is to sell the device and pay off the EIP. This new plan, now makes that the most beneficial way to upgrade for everyone under 1 year or not at 50% EIP payoffs.

The problem with making that the most beneficial method now, is what’s the point of JUMP! ? They’ve really hashed the major benefits of JUMP! to an entirely different program all together now.

archerian

Where can I buy or see the prices for the phones traded in? I wonder what margins they are being sold for if any, looks like Jump should revitalize the used phones market if its available to purchase here

$15454173

The refurbished phones and prices are listed on T Mobile’s site.

Jeremy

I wondered how long that would last. When I was in the store getting my jump upgrade, there were 5 other people in there doing the same thing. The employee that was helping me said that they have been slammed with Jump upgrades. I mean, I traded in my S4 for a G2 and walked out paying $40 for the tax. That’s it.

asudave

The only reason I see TMO making this change is that they feel they are losing money on the old JUMP!. It would seem to me that most of their “average” customers are going to pay as little as they can when they get a new phone and EIP as much as possible. In which case, they are not going to be able to JUMP! except once a year, give or take, anyway ($0 down, EIP 24 months, 1/2 pd at around the 12 month mark).

Serious phone geeks are going to realize they get a better deal buying the phone outright. They can keep/sell their phone when they want to upgrade, get a better return than if they were to trade it in to TMO, and use that money toward their new phone.

I really only see a small handful of people who will be “ZOMG! I neeeeeed that new phone! Here, TMO, take my almost brand new phone and $300 and gimmme gimmme!”

This is purely a business decision, which is in their right and fiduciary obligation if the old terms are creating a loss for them. I just don’t see it as much of an improvement for the customer as there won’t be many who will “JUMP! as often as you like”.

Hopefully, the grandfathering is true.

Jermaine Coakley Sr.

That’s exactly how I am looking at it @asudave:disqus. If they are losing money, what business (if any) would just sit there and see money being lost? I’m hoping the grandfathering is true because I will just keep it.

tmo_rep

As another poster mentioned, we do not loose money on any of the devices traded in. Most of these phones are re-sold as certified like new devices to current customer’s or customers who don’t have the best credit and will pay for a used device. Trust me, we are not loosing any money on the current system.

donnybee

Exactly. Most people here are defending this decision, just as AT&T customers defend the limited data. It’s annoying that they’re not looking at the big picture. T-Mobile has no problem getting back what is owed on each device. I’m sure that’s something they already ironed out before launching JUMP!.

THEY HAVEN’T BEEN LOSING MONEY PEOPLE

KB

That just makes it worse, not better.

kalel33

It’s “lose”, not “loose”. Swear I see that misspelled at least once in any commentary section.

randomnerd_number38

Do we have any official source we can quote on the grandfathering of old terms AND choosing to keep the old terms even if you upgrade?

T-Mo Employee

Yea, the field sales news bulletin that is sent out to employees was pretty clear on this point.

randomnerd_number38

Thank ya, sir. Looking forward to seeing an external DOC.

donnybee

T-Mobile hasn’t been taking a loss everyone! What do you think they do when they get a phone in from JUMP! ? They sell it again. It’s a certified refurbished model. They will either allow EIP or sell it outright. They have always had a plan to recoup their “losses” on every single device. These new changes just allow them to now pull in a profit from the whole cycle, as they won’t give you as much when you trade it in anymore.

Paul

Used phones, that are desirable, fetch a good price on eBay. This is the reason I don’t use JUMP; I can get more back from an eBay sale. However, it’s a great program for others but not for me.

donnybee

If I ever got stuck under this new program (which hopefully doesn’t happen since I’m “grandfathered” in) I would just sell the phone and pay off the EIP. I’m sure whatever extra I’d have to pay to finish paying the EIP will be a lot less than making it to 50% of the device’s original cost. They’ve shredded the best benefit of Jump!. In the future, the largest and most worthwhile benefit will be the insurance.

Too bad. Jump! really was fantastic.

S. Ali

This new plan negates the benefits because you are still paying $10/month ($120 over 12 months) plus 50% of a phone (avg $300 for high end devices). So you’re paying $420/year for the privilege of having the latest device. You would bet better off just keeping your device for 18 months and buying the cheaper insurance plan, then selling your device when you want to upgrade. The previous JUMP plan was about the convenience of upgrades (6 months and no 50% payment). This is just regular payments with trade-up (plus a more expensive insurance).

Spanky

“The old-guard carriers all tried to follow our lead last year, but none can match the variety of freedoms we provide to our customers with JUMP!”
If that’s not an insult to the customers’ intelligence, I don’t know what is.

David V

Wait so does this mean tmobile offers insurance on tablets now?

randomnerd_number38

Good point! I’ll sign up for the new JUMP for my iPad Air if this is the case.

Jay Holm

Cam should ask his source about that. I would think that would be an Asurion decision more so than a carriers decision.

sidekicker89

So do people like the new Jump program more than the old? I’m confused.

bob90210

The old program was better since you can buy a phone for $0 down and get a new phone after 6 months so you will only pay one fourth of the cost for phone. With the new plan you will have to pay at least half of the cost of the phone before upgrading.

Bob Archer

Right, so Jump more often, the old plan is better… Jump less often, the old plan is probably the same as the new plan. Bottom line, the old plan is better… sign up NOW if you’ve been putting it off.

Jay Holm

Upgrading once a year is good enough for me.

Bob Archer

So, you won’t see any difference between Jump and Jump 2.0.

Bob Archer

Everyone’s says… yea… T-Mo is doing this to save money.. and I agree. But you think they would have done the math upfront.

The bottom line is… if you look at someone that gets 24 months EIP and signs up for the original Jump and Jumps every 6 months, they are paying much less than someone on the new plan that Jumps every 6 months.

If you are going to replace your phone once a year… I think Jump is probably not your best option. Also, it depends on the phone. What is the resale value of a top tier phone after one year? If it is 1/2 then Jump costs you $120 with very little benefits.

You can get AppCare+ for iPhone for $99 (2 years) or Square Trade on most Android Phones for $125 (2 years). Also, those stay with the device making it easier to sell after you’ve had it for a year.

So, while I might have gone with the original Jump… the new Jump terms just don’t seem worth it mathematically. But, there is something to be said for convenience. And the knowledge that after 1 year you can just hand in the phone, owe nothing and get a new one for tax as well as the insurance coverage might be worth it. You decide.

donnybee

T-Mobile isn’t doing this to save money, they’re doing it to gain profit when reselling the phones rather than breaking even (as they’ve been able to do up to this point). Roughly $150 paid on a device after 6 months means they can sell that certified refurb for $150 less than the new ones. They make their money.

But now, the customer has paid $300. They can still sell it for about $150 more than they paid to get it back from you and that’s where the profits come in. T-Mobile was never losing money with Jump!. They just want to utilize it for more profit now..which is fine. As long as it isn’t sold to us under the fake “it has more benefits” or “this is to mitigate losses” lines I’m seeing around these comments. Those are both just untrue.

Bob Archer

Save money (reduce expenses), earn more money (increase revenue), either way the result is the same (more profit). I don’t see how the residual value of the phone changes here based on which Jump program you are on.

What I do see, is T-Mobile realized they were being too generous and wanted to get more out of those that Jumped more often and/or wanted to discourage people from Jumping so often. Because those people that REALLY want a new phone every 6 months are probably willing to pay a bit more to be able to do it. But, the current Jump plan encourages people to Jump every 6 months when normally most people won’t do it if it’s gonna cost them an extra $200-$300 every 6 months to do it.

donnybee

That’s what I’m saying. The value of the phone doesn’t change. They could still sell it for $450 even though they paid the other $300 of your EIP. So essentially they’re making that much more profit. Prior to this they were breaking even. I think overtime, with the people who really want to upgrade quick and soon, they won’t be turning them in to T-Mobile. They’ll sell it, pay the EIP and whatever small difference they’re looking at, and upgrade from the start. That means T-Mobile loses money on those people; in fact if those people don’t use insurance, they can cut JUMP! all together.

I don’t believe this move is smart for T-Mobile, but I definitely understand them going after more profit. Profit is never a bad thing, they just need to make it as beneficial as possible for both sides.

Richard Yarrell

This is perfect for me definitely.

Tanya Taylor

As a person with T-mobile who hasn’t added the JUMP add-on yet (I’m currently on classic – was waiting to convert when my fee would be $0), do you recommend I hurry and add it before this starts or after?

Sam Farias

Yes, do it now if you were going to do it anyway. I’m very glad to be grandfathered, as Jump is a great program as it is now.

ajay

It depends on your credit with T-Mobile. If you are well qualified I would recommend to the old jump. Otherwise new jump would be a better option since you will already be paying almost half the cost of the phone anyways.

Iknowstuff

If you have been with them more then 5 years you can convert right away with no fee…if you have not just buy a new device on EIP and they will waive your migration fee :)

kalel33

You also have to turn in your current phone and it has to be an eligible device.

JBrowne1012

Before it starts

ryan

This is better for the non well qualified customers for sure.

fsured

Just like the other carriers are having to respond to T-Mobile, T-Mobile has to respond in like. The changed JUMP! because At&t and Verizon are offering earlier upgrade options in their programs than the 6 months in the original JUMP! program. To remain competitive against their version since it was offering earlier trade ins, T-Mobile matched the upgrade time frame. So that the company does not take a loss they also adopted the competitors pricing strategy. If they allowed upgrades after 1 month and didn’t require more money from the customer they would be losing money since they still purchased the phone at whatever cost the OEM sells it to them.

If they drop the $0 down for a phone then that required 50% paid off device is easier to get to as it is pointed out. Or maybe alter it where if you decide to upgrade earlier than 6 months then you will need to have more of the phone paid off. This would keep the original value in the program going and give the option to upgrade earlier. The $0 down is a great tool to bring in customers but it is also causing higher EIPs and extending it to 24 months instead of 20. At 20 months is when the savings really kicked in compared to contract subsidized prices when they first made the changes.

The $0 down is probably the reason they had to change the program. If you bought the phone during a time they required a portion upfront, then they could recoup the phone cost at 6 months. It is not a financially sound program to the company when people pay nothing up front and upgrade even at 6 months.

To toss future/current customers a bone they added tablets. Fine but they should start selling more tablet models. I don’t want an Ipad, 7” tablet, or be limited to Samsung when there are other brands out there.

nearvanaman

I’m in that boat (Note 3 @ zero down) and will trade in after six months after paying $180. I can see how that is probably not sustainable for them.

Made downpayment? Up to six months, you must pay half before upgrade / Six months and over, no penalty (i.e. current deal)

I mean you can do the math on this all day long and figure out scenarios that are better or worse. But Uncarrier is supposed to be about giving customers choice and a better deal. Instead of being flexible, they did kind of made it worse.

randomnerd_number38

This could be the turning point for the tech press to turn against Legere and T-Mobile… They were already almost there with that press release with “humorous” fake quotes from AT&T. There’s a HUGE obvious downside to these changes- I bet we’ll see a lot of negative coverage of this.

Next engadget headline: “T-Mobile Quietly Changes JUMP! For the Worse”

Spanky

The Verge has already published a less-than-flattering article on this topic.

Let the regressions begin. Now that they have shaken up the industry, it’s time to start tweaking things to improve profit and this is the first example. I figured the un-carrier movement couldn’t last.

Jay Holm

I don’t think the Uncarrier movement is over. The I industry still needs more change.

Brandon Dean

I Dont think the uncarrier tactics are over. Jump really was more consumer benefiting than their bottom line was comfortable with. It basically makes my entire family want to get new phones every six months, just because they can, after only paying about 120 on a 600 dollar device. T-Mobile in that situation will only make a slither of profit off of the device with customers like my family, as they will have to refurbish 5 phones from us every six months, and with us only having paid a tiny amount on each one.

So in short I’m glad I’m grandfathered in because I can game the system a bit, but it makes sense that they would want to cover themselves a bit more from some of the extreme scenarios that could have occured with the other old plan

donnybee

You’re paying monthly for Jump. T-Mobile gets a huge discount through a third party for refurbishing since they move them by the hundreds of thousands. Those costs are perfectly offset. They thought of that before they released JUMP!. They covered their bases. They get what the phone is worth by selling those refurbished devices too. This is about paying less to buy the phone back, essentially gaining more profit once they sell it again. This is not to reduce “loss” in any way, as they’ve already had a plan in place to cover that. It’s about profit.

KlausWillSeeYouNow

Profit isn’t a bad thing, but a loss of consumer choice sure is. Profit is the only way T-Mobile can hope to expand.

donnybee

I agree. I fully support T-Mobile finding ways to increase profit. I’m sure their margins are MUCH smaller than the other carriers. But I think over time this will cause fewer devices to be traded in through JUMP!. The “hardcore” upgraders they are supposedly helping here will just sell their phone to pay off the EIP. Much cheaper.

I think this just reduces the benefits of JUMP!, which could cause people to drop the service all together. Only time will tell, but I honestly think they should have chased profit in another place. Not messing with the upgrades.

fentonr

I don’t think this has anything to do with bottom line. I think this was done to address the fact that some people wanted more flexibility. Unfortunately, to continue to make this profitable and allow for more flexibility, this was the compromise.

bluemoon737

Disagree completely. If it wasn’t about the bottom line, then they would have only required 25% payoff to jump which would match the current plan.

Jackal830

I have a Nokia Lumia 521, and I owe more on it than it’s worth. I signed up when it was $150 and did the payment plans. I now owe $80 on it. Could I wait one more month (so I would owe $75), sign up for Jump, turn in my phone and get another phone, and then immediately cancel jump?

Ikem

Hmmmm. Good question. I want to know the answer too. Can someone abuse the system in this way or in anyway possible?

krym73

It is possible to add the feature, but most of the time they wont honor it unless you got it under open enrollment.

fentonr

Right, technically, it can be added but most likely, they won’t because you don’t qualify. If you do manage to get it added store reps will probably sell you a phone because they just want to sell a phone, they don’t care if you should have the feature or not. The insurance part is different though, while they might cover it, you will most likely be denied.

fsured

You can’t sign up for Jump at any time. You can cancel it but not add it. That is done when you purchase a phone or some other event on your line of service.

At least that is what I was told when upgrading my mothers line 3 weeks ago and asked if I wanted to add Jump.

jeff grace

Just so you know the Nokia 521 is only worth $5 in T-Mobile system.

Brandon Dean

Well I’m glad my entire family is on the original jump plan and can stay on it even after the new version comes in. None of us will want to upgrade faster than twice in a year, so we are fine with how jump works now. The new plan isn’t as flexible since most will be paying the monthly minimum, and only reach 50% after paying for nearly a year.

As someone who “jumped” onto jump early, I’m glad I did.

nearvanaman

How does sales tax work on Jump? If I pay $60 sales tax on a $700 phone but only pay $180 ($0 down and 6 months x $30) on the phone before ‘trade in’ is the sales tax on the unpaid be refunded to me when I purchase the new phone?

thepanttherlady

No it isn’t.

Stone Cold

You will be grandfathered under the old program correct?

thepanttherlady

I never joined JUMP! on my line but did so on both my oldest daughter’s accounts. The JUMP! on my eldest’s line will be for me to use if I want. She was already paying for insurance so it isn’t costing me anything additional.

PiCASSiMO

Good question…. you should be refunded the balance of the taxes since you’ve only paid off 1/2 of the phone.

But just like leasing a car in Texas or Illinois, you get f*cked and pay full taxes on a car that you borrow for 36 to 48-months.

nearvanaman

Really? That was my angle on this. I thought a trade-in on a car would see your tax liability reduced therefore a trade-in program on a phone would work the same way. Seems a bit of a swiz to me. Thanks, Illinois. Thanks for the info :)

bob90210

Sales tax are paid to the state (they are only collected by T-Mobile) based on the purchase price. Financing does not affect the purchase price, nor does any trade-in. If anything, T-Mobile should pay the state sales tax based on the trade-in value since they are buy the phone from you.

fsured

The tax is not refunded or counted in the 50% as you are essentially buying the phone still at full retail. T-Mobile is just lending the money to you to cover the $700 or whatever the cost is and not charging you interest on that loan. But for sales tax purposes, the phone is purchased by you using their money. They are only lending the money to pay for the hardware though and nothing else which is why the customer pays the tax.

I think the same would apply to the car example that was given. The company/bank that is lending you the money is covering the cost of the car in a loan and for sales tax purposes, it is considered sold and paid in full. They are giving the dealer the $$$ for the retail value of the car and you are paying them back for that service. Again, here the customer pays the license fee and tax as the loan only covers the cost of the car.

In a way you can think of EIP as leasing the phone if you decide to use Jump! You are not getting anything back in return except for the balance remaining being wiped clean.

Reeses

What’s a secure way to erase your data from your current phone before trading it in? I know for PCs, when you format the drive and reinstall your OS, people can still get access to your data. You have do something called Secure Erase to make sure everything is really gone.

thepanttherlady

Factory reset?

KlausWillSeeYouNow

Exciting to see the Panther Lady prowling around in real time! *ROWRR!*

thepanttherlady

It’s Friday. I’m pretending to work…shhhhh!

Stone Cold

As opposed to??????? lol

thepanttherlady

If you mean day you’d be correct. =D

KlausWillSeeYouNow

Quick Question: Going to upgrade a handset on my line. Should I go for the Z1 or Z1S? It’s the storage-metal tradeoff…

Also, do you notice any signal issues with the metal sides?

thepanttherlady

If you want my honest opinion, the Z1 because it’s international and unlocked out of the box.

fsured

Not only that but updates directly from Sony! The Xperia Z has had 4.3 since the end of December and getting close to 4.4. T-Mobile, no a peep of 4.3 even being in the certification phase.

thepanttherlady

You’re not allowed to edit your post after I respond! LOL

I don’t have any signal issues that I don’t have with a T-Mobile phone. As a matter of fact, the LG G Flex was driving me crazy with certain web pages that I don’t have with the Z1. Of course the area you live in will have to play into your decision because you may get different results than I do.

KlausWillSeeYouNow

Haha, always good to see you too, Stone. When the Panther Lady’s afoot, so are you!

thepanttherlady

I’d rather be a panther than a foot. Just sayin’. ;)

Stone Cold

Take the mirco sd out and do a cache wipe and a factory reset.

Jose

Wiping the cache and a factory reset is the similar to the formating a PC example he mentioned unless the OEM explicitly does extra steps during the reset. In both cases, data can be recovered on mechanical and solid state drives after a format.

KlausWillSeeYouNow

I tend to side with @donnybee and the others who feel this change is retrogressive. But people, talking here is not enough. Call T-Mobile and let them know how you feel!

1-800-937-8997. A true Uncarrier listens to its customers. Make your opinion heard before it’s too late!

fentonr

Maybe, but jamming up call centers won’t help anything. Those people can’t do anything about it.

KlausWillSeeYouNow

I agree with @randomnerd_number38:disqus… Tweeting at John Legere is far better of an option.

kalel33

Yeah, reps and their coaches can’t do a single thing and all it does is clog the lines for customers that need help.

randomnerd_number38

A much more effective way is to flood twitter and John Legere. Skip the middle men and go straight to the CEO.

Conrad Curtis

here is a question about the grandfathered jump plan. I just joined in October of 2013, my first upgrade is in April of 2014, where I will be getting the iPhone 5s. I plan to wait until for my second upgrade in September of 2014 to get the iPhone 6, will I need to wait another 6 months after that to upgrade again in April 2015? Or does it restart again in January?

thepanttherlady

No. There is only one initial 6 month waiting period. After that you can JUMP! two more times in a 12 month period. Whether you do that at 6 month intervals or within a month of each other is your choice (I don’t recommend the second option).

Conrad Curtis

So, based on my example, my cycle is April to April or October to october? Or is it universally Jan 1st to Dec 31st?

thepanttherlady

I believe it is based on your purchase date, not calendar year.

Conrad Curtis

that is what I thought, thank you so much lady!

Joey

After trading in my current device and getting a new one can I cancel JUMP! after a month of paying JUMP!??

thepanttherlady

JUMP! can be canceled and you will just have to finish paying off the EIP’s on your device.

Moby

You can only sign up for Jump within 14 days of buying a new device on EIP. So it would be pointless to buy a device on EIP and sign up, wait one month, get a second device on EIP and trade in the first device and then cancel Jump. You would lose a lot of money because they would only waive 50% of the frist device.

johnediii

Is this per line. If I add my iPad air on the 23rd does that let me stay grandfathered on my voice line? Does the $10 on the tablet line add the insurance?

Dakota

Glad they’re continuing to simplify things and not making it complicated. Try to get that hourly worker at a store to accurately explain this

Cam Bunton

Another one of my concerns. And it’s two-fold: a) Will the sales staff be diligent in explaining all the ins and outs b) Will customers just hook on to “unlimited upgrades” and not pay attention because the deal sound so awesome.

Those are the daily challenges of retail staff. Been there. Do not envy them on this one.

fentonr

I was a rep for Tmo in college and I can say, some reps will do a good job, most will do a mediocre job and some will do a really terrible job. As for what will customers hear, most will not listen to the details even if they are explained well. Customers generally just want to walk in and buy a phone the same way you would buy a gallon of milk, they just aren’t interested in the details.

JBLmobileG1

I plan on jumping soon, definitely sometime this month, I just hope the rep doesn’t screw it up and get confused, with me being on the older jump plan, and trying to tell me I will need to put an insane amount of money down on my new phone because I only get so much back. If what your saying is correct, they should pay it all off for me, then I just pay the down (if any) and taxes.

Adam

They will sell both Jump 1 and Jump 2. And you will have both options to switch when you want to.

RGR127

Lots of confusion about this right now. Does David Beren post updates on this blog now that he is Senior Social Media. Manager at T-Mobile? I’m sure he would know the full story.

Cam Bunton

Where’s the confusion? This is the full story.

GinaDee

How about changing a smartphone line to a tablet or vice versa? Is this still not allowed with T-Mobile?

Cam Bunton

Read the part under the “tablets” heading. ;-)

JB

So I have questions about the tablets. I have a Nexus 7 on EIP when JUMP! goes live for tablets, is that a separate enrollment for that line? To add, I’m grandfathered into what will be the old JUMP! on my mobile line. Adding my tablet into the program won’t effect the JUMP! on that line, would it?

Singleweird

correct. jump is a line-level feature, meaning it does not affect any other lines, ever.

fentonr

That was addressed in the post, you cannot do that.

JB

My greatest fear as a grandfathered JUMP!er. Somehow, some way, a TMO employee will mess up my JUMP! tenure by enrolling me in the new one on “accident”…

JBLmobileG1

All you’ll have to do is to sign into your Tmobile account right after you use your jump. If it says your not eligible to jump for another 6 months, then you know your good.

Nick

There’s only a 6 month waiting period after you first add jump. After that, you can upgrade whenever you want. Just ask the sales rep. They’ll know what you want.

Singleweird

it is impossible to change your insurance (jump version) during the jump process for a tmobile rep. i know because i am one. a rep gains nothing from your example.

JB

That’s good to know, but I think my fears are/were valid, being that some employees knowingly and maybe unknowingly change stuff all the time. Like when I added added a line on my account, I *explicitly* told the employee that I wanted 500mb of data on that particular line and they go ahead and put unlimited on it.

Or I call in about a billing issue and they put a content block on my line. So when I call about that, it took over a month to resolve.

So while you say an employee has nothing to gain, how do I know there’s no incentive to move me from a grandfathered JUMP! line? On the other hand, how do I know that they didn’t do it by a legitimate mistake, which can actually happen. I’m sure even you did something by mistake some time in your life :-)

philyew

I could be way off here, but is it possible that this change is related to today’s other big news that the FCC (see update, this is incorrect, it was the DoJ) have signed off the 700MHz A block deal with Verizon much quicker than expected?

Once TM get devices that support that band, there will be a ton of people who want to Jump! and many won’t have served out the 6 months qualifying period under the current deal.

I was thinking that the change in the Jump! program was a bit of old “Carrier” behavior re-surfacing, but maybe TM were caught out by how quickly they would be able to start deploying the new spectrum. As I said, I could be way-off, but it’s a possibility…

Update: misread the other news…It was the DoJ signing off on the deal, so the FCC still hasn’t reached the end of its formal processes. Sorry.

bluemoon737

Most of the newer phones folks have already support 700MHz.

philyew

Not band 12, I’m afraid, and that’s what’s needed for the A block spectrum.

Raven2260

It will only be a good deal if they dont require you to pay $10 a month to be on Jump. That is stupid especially since other carriers dont require you to pay insurance.

xmiro

I wonder if the program did not work out financially for T-Mobile? Particularly people who were trading their phones in a lot. Android phones are notorious for losing their value fast, unlike the iPhone which itself is expensive, so maybe T-Mobile wasn’t able to sell the traded-in phones due to fast depreciation?

Either way if you’re swapping your phone out about every 12 months you’re going to be ok under the new JUMP! program.

And those who want new phones twice a year will just have to fork over more money after Feb 23 if they want a new phone every 3 months.

Turb0wned

Or you could put those $10 a month a side and sell your phone in a year. Then you have what you sell it for plus $120.

xmiro

true that

One may also be covered if they have homeowner’s insurance, renters, or even theft and loss rider on an auto insurance

Any phone defects are covered by the phone’s insurance (which could be inconvenient as you have to ship your phone to the manufacturer) those are 1yr, or extended to 2yrs if you pay with a credit card that offers you extended coverage.

Don Kim

This is worse than Verizon Edge now since you have to pay $10 each month to keep Jump.

Julez125

Actually insurance is only 8 dollars so the jump portion is only 2 dollars. The 10 dollar Jump bundle is better than any of the knock offs that we’re brought about after it was announce because most do not include insurance in its bundle.

Singleweird

verizon edge is a pathetic attempt to keep up with T-mobile. notice how many changes the other big 3 have made since the uncarrier movement. its hilarious.

sam

all this jump is a SCAM but you won’t know it unless you have a brain that can function well!

Whiskers

Speak for yourself , it’s not a scam if your on the old grandfathered JUMP .
My Nokia 925 is not worth dog crap now used ($200) so why would i keep it and pay pay the $400.00 balance when i can JUMP it off and let T-Mobile eat the loss.
I only paid $19.95 down and only pay $20.00/month EIP so that was best part.
Now if your talking about the new JUMP program , well then i have to agree..

Reeses

Maybe that’s why TMo got rid of the old jump program. It was too good for the customer and not them. Although, I’m not sure I’d use the any of the Jump offers because I wouldn’t upgrade my phone that often unless I made a terrible choice and picked a pretty bad phone somehow.

Mike

If you add JUMP to a tablet, will it include insurance? I was told by a T-Mobile rep in December they don’t offer insurance on tablets.

Guest

Yes, I already have insurance on my iPad Air. Insurance is $8 and JUMP! is an additional $2.

Nick

Insurance is not currently covered on tablets or mobile Internet devices. The new jump plan extends to tablets. This is coming from a T-Mobile sales rep who has lost sales based on the fact that insurance isn’t an option.

Guest

Well I guess I got lucky :P

Prod1702

No you didn’t. you are paying for something that you can not use. When you go to make a Claim you will be told the device is not able to make a claim.

Singleweird

yes, it includes insurance from Assurant.

nerdlust

Sounds good to me. I don’t want tmobile to go broke giving away new phones every 6 months.

Ty Christensen

Stupidest idea ever in my opinion, every 6 months is soon enough. To have to pay 50% of the phone to upgrade before that doesn’t make any sense.

william43

For those with an Android phone that can’t get the next update could be beneficial. Everyone situation is different. I have a HTC Windows Phone and if i’m not 100% sure if I will get all the features that are coming with the WP8.1 update. *crossing fingers*

epiales

HELP! i think my Jump program got messed up at some point. i joined tmobile in 2013 right when they announced the no contracts and introduced Jump with 3 lines and 3 eip’s. after a series of phone payoffs, upgrades, and selling 2 phones on ebay, i am now faced with 4 eip’s (one of which i am sure is a mistake by tmoble customer service) and still only 3 lines. i have been paying for Jump on all 3 lines since day one even though on 2 of my lines i am using tmobile branded phones that i bought off ebay.

anyone have any advice on how this is going to work if i decide to use Jump? and can anyone that works for tmobile tell me how to get rid of the 4th eip that i am sure i paid off?when i decide to Jump for the 1st time will i just trade in the device i currently have even though it is not the same as the one i have an eip on? when Jump was first announced i never saw anything that said you had to turn in the exact same device even though logically that makes sense. i just never saw any fine print that said it specifically.

jeff grace

Email john legere, explain situatuin in fine detail and he will respond and tell you somone from his iffice will be in touch with you john.legere@tmobile.com

william43

hmm…

Singleweird

when jumping, you may only trade in the device that you purchased originally at t-mobile, or one that you jumped to. if you got rid of the phone that you purchased jump with, you will never be eligible to jump unless you start a new eip and re-purchase jump.

whgarner

So if you use jump it is like leasing a phone or tablet for at least one year (50% paid off), then retrading over, so at the end of ten years you will have paid $2500 for 10 $500 phones and still have only one phone in your possession, where as, if you paid off each phone every two years $2500 for ten years, but stilll have 5 used phones in your possession which you could have sold. Not a great deal for me, I do not need the latest a greatest every year, I can wait two years.

william43

Think deprecation, after 10 years the resell value is going to be crap. I have an $600 HTC 8X (wonderful phone) that can be brought new no contract for $130. I’ve got like 3 payments (and Jump) before its paid off. I would love to be able to hand it over to T-Mobile and get a new phone without having to worry about the resell value. I won’t be returning it to T-Mobile due to me having paid it off (had it before Jump started) but going forward I rather lease then own a Phone that’s going to depreciate faster than a new car.

Brian

Its bad financial Decisions like that that make me worried for you. Phones do not depriciate as fast as a car. You can buy a quality phone and sell it a year later for 25% of what you paid, a car would be close to 45% in the same period.

Rent a center called, they want their sofa back.

william43

I would never buy furniture from rent a center over price and not my style. There’s a number of very intelligent people (yes, I;m including myself) that see JUMP as a good deal for their mobile life style. I don’t think getting 25% of what I paid for a phone is significant. With JUMP (grandfathered in) I don’t even have to pay half my phone off to get a new device, why would I pay $600 for a phone to sell it for 25% of that later? That’s a lost of 75%. If loosing 75% and then buying another device where you loose another 75% seems wise to you, so be it but for me it doesn’t seem wise at all.

life4eva

This is where you’re wrong……

Lets just say I buy a Brand New LG G2 for $650 , then 6 months later hope to sell it for $400-$500 that means I’m still out $150.

If I get an LG G2 with 0 down and pay $25 a month for 6 months I
still paid the same $150 and I can jump to a new phone with $0 down again.

The point is to have good credit and have gotten in on the old jump program. I see it as a benefit

Brian

Yeah, sorry. Autocorrect must’ve changed my 25% from 75%. I guess I should have read it a couple years ago. Gotta love auto correct!

bob90210

So what you’re saying is buying more stuff cost more. Thanks for the info.

john

So it sounds to me like I need to keep my original jump program because if im paying $20 per month extra for my phone and upgrade after 6 months , ive only invested $120 into the phone (besides the down payment ofcourse) and i can get a new phone where as the new jump program says that I have to pay %50 of the old phone … yea im gonna keep this original jump program on my account for a long time

duscrom

The down payment would be included.

So, if you paid $99 for your phone, you’ve paid off $220 so far.

GinaDee

Getting too confusing. Keep it simple T-Mobile. The new program is good for you but bad for consumers.

All you are doing is making customers pay 50% of the hardware so that you can resell it later at bigger profits.

Singleweird

“making the customers pay 50% of the hardware”? tmobile doesnt make anybody do anything. if you don’t like the program, DONT BUY IT. many people will still love this program and benefit from it, especially those with subprime credit.

william43

Now can we get more Window Phone & Devices to make it worthwhile for me?

Singleweird

flex, z1s, note 3, nexus 5, g2, 5s, 5c, 925

whats the problem

william43

That’s the problem. :-)

ryanmelendez93

It seems like under the new program, if you pay for your phone the way you normally would ($20 a month), it’ll take more than 6 months to pay for half the device before getting an upgrade. It doesn’t seem like an improvement.

william43

The improvement is you can just pay the % left to upgrade at wait for it…..Anytime! (with that being said yeah you could just buy the device outright and be able to upgrade anytime)

ryanmelendez93

That’s not an improvement for me. If my phone costs $500, and I paid $20 a month for it like normal. In 6 months, I’d have paid off $120. Under the old program, I could trade in and get a new phone. Under the new program, I’d have to keep paying $20 a month for 13 months for it to cover 50%, or if I wanted 6 months, I’d have to pay them an extra $130, on top of the down payment for the new phone. That’s not an improvement.

william43

So join Jump before the new plan comes into affect and you’re good. :-)

ryanmelendez93

I’m already a member of JUMP, but I don’t know how long before they force old JUMP members to switch to the new plan. Just like AT&T with unlimited data

Frettfreak

thats what i was wondering… that s5 needs to come out so i can get on it now! lol

Singleweird

That will never happen. This exact point is outlined in the terms of the program. you are grandfathered forever.

duscrom

Well, again, we are assuming that’s with $0 down. Most people are probably going to pay $99 or more for a high end phone out the door. So at $100 down, +$120 in payments, you’re paing $30 extra, PLUS you’ll still get the trade in value towards your new phone.

Bklynman

I wanted to join the jump before they change it,when it 1st,started,
I call up,I was told my credit was not good enough zero down.
I told the rep. Forget. Call today to get one of the lower end phones
they have,I was told I can get any phone for zero down,just paid taxes and shipping,I just wanted to get on the jump program.
They didn’t have HTC One in stock,got the Note 3,for$70.35,
no payments until April,glad I call,Tmo most of the time brings out
the new phones in late May towards June.I am glad I call.
I ask for loyalty,I did not feel any pressure when I call,the rep
did a great job.Fyi to any tmo reps out here,I did give Chris rep.,a
recomm.

Pong Bong

What???? You have bad credit, but got the Note 3 for 70.35? How? No payments till April? Huh? This is earth ya know? It’s a little- I mean, a lot different here…wow..

Chulo

Yea but, doesn’t it make sense to put a little money down on the device to bring down that monthly cost anyway? 27 dollars a month doesn’t seem like a lot, but trust me, on top of any plan you’re already paying-it’ll get old really fast.

Frettfreak

I was a little concerned there for a minute because the whole reason i am on this is i like to change phones a lot. Every 6 months is not out of the question for me. I like android and dont get married to one OEM. so i can go from a one to an s4 or whatever. Glad you cleared up that i can stay on my original terms as this new option kinda sux. At least in my case.

I can say without a doubt that if this was the program when they first unveiled it, i would not have gotten on it. Its still better than what any other carrier put out IMO, but it doesnt have the wow factor for me.

iceman502

Not true. I have to (as of now) pay about $350 now to upgrade after six months. It’s fair for people with good credit and good standing with T-mobile to pay 50% after six months all because some people do not? I think it would be fair to have the option of both! I’ve been with you guys for almost a decade and would rather sign a 2 year agreement for a free phone since jump 1 is now void!

iceman502

Please bring back jump 1!!!!!!

Chulo

If you really think about it, the old program where you signed a contract for two years was better. So let’s pretend I walk into TMobile present time but with the old contract days- Pay 200-250, get your Galaxy note 3 and now you’re obligated to stay with T Mobile for two years. So then, after year one, your feel your phone’s outdated, considering that personally I take very good care of my ‘my stuff,’ I could sell my now year old Note 3 for about 300 on Ebay for example-(remember, it’s a year old now) take that 300 and put it towards the new Note 4-and use my Visa to pay the rest.

By this time, I have a year left on contract with the phone I have sold even with my new phone I bought with my money/credit card, when the year is left, I upgrade again, get another phone for 200-250, and still have my new upgraded phone I bought a year ago to sell for 300, pay off credit card-and the whole process starts all over again. This is just one theory…

I’m only with T Mobile because I’ve been with them, their rates are better than the others & Coverage is decent for me. But this new system changes every thing. I put 300 down on my phone because I knew that the 27 dollars a month on top of my 78 dollars would get old real fast. I’m also tempted to just pay off the EIP and own the phone which would mean Jump is no good to me. Then I can sell my Note 3 for about 500 present time-probably more, then just take that and go to At&T. Personally, I don’t like CDMA so Sprint (sucks anyway) and Verizon (too expensive anyway) are out..!

Chulo

Personally I’m still trying to figure out if Jump is a good thing. But, something to keep in mind and worth noting is that, those of us with ‘bad credit’ who have to put down a down payment is actually a good thing. Less than a year goes by and you’re ready to Jump! Personally, Jumping more than once a year doesn’t seem reasonable anyway, especially if you stick with brands like iPhone/Galaxy who only comes out with new models once a year. So good credit or no/bad credit-I think it’s best to put down money towards device-especially with the new Jump.

bryan reyes

I have a question, what about those 10$ per month that you pay? Where does it go? When you trade in your phone and T-Mobile pay all remaining cost , when you get your new phone you have to start paying all over from 600?

thepanttherlady

Yes. Any time you JUMP! your EIP starts over based on the new device you purchase.

Steven Dodge

So let’s say I’ve had JUMP! under the old plan for the past 6 months. Would I be eligible to upgrade even though t-mobile didn’t start my monthly phone payments until 2 months into paying for JUMP!?

kay

All of the new people get all the benefits and it just doesn’t make any sense to me. What about loyal customers that have been with this company?We’re paying our monthly payments to put in your pocket . Now it’s killing you to monopolize the market. Tmobile you’re giving, ..Oh, I don’t know the new people free rein and liberties to anything and everything for free to jump ship and come on overm “We’ll” (the loyal customers here) take care of you and pay ETF, !!really!! The device I want to have is well out of my budget and I was offered $2.00 for each device that I wanted to use toward my JUMP trade in. WTF that doesn’t make sense to me. I ‘ve been with Tmobile for over 6 years, 6 devices, hotspot….. keep it up I’m going to JUMP ship watch me. I’ll do smoke signals before I’m taking advantage of again if I don’t get what I want at a reasonable rate. Oh yeah, by the way, the HR dept needs to clean up and devote major time and effort to their customer service dept; that would include phone service and the Tmobile stores.

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